The next phase of public hearings by the commission probing foreign interference in Canada will begin later this month.
In a release, the commission says the hearings will specifically focus on the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, including the periods “immediately” preceding and following both votes.
“These hearings will address issues at the core of our mandate,” Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue said.
Hogue wrote that evidence on the question of interference by foreign states or non-state actors will be heard, as well as any impact it may have had on the elections.
The upcoming hearings, which are expected to run until April 10, are the latest in the long-awaited public inquiry which kicked off on Jan. 29, after a week of hearings that looked into how much national security information could be made public.
The commission will also examine the flow of information to senior decision makers, including elected officials, and between the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force and the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol panel during the two elections, and what actions were taken in response.
A top-secret briefing report obtained by Global News in January showed Canada is aware China tried to influence the last two federal elections.
In February, the Conservatives also requested the public inquiry look into Iranian influence in Canada, which came amid concerns about Iran’s campaign of intimidation across North America.
The names of witnesses of who will appear at the hearings will be released at a later date, but Hogue said last month the commission was obligated to reach out to those “with a real and direct interest in the subject of the inquiry.”
This would include “those who are the subject of the core allegations of foreign interference that this Commission is tasked with investigating.”
Following the conclusion of the public hearings in April, the next set of hearings will be held in the fall. The release said those hearings would focus on the government’s capacity to detect, counter and deter foreign interference, and the supports and protections in place for diaspora community members.
Last month, Hogue had urged diaspora groups and organizations to step forward and assist with its current investigation by promising protection from potential reprisal. Those measures came after numerous members of these groups voiced concern over the possibility of facing negative consequences.
An initial report will be released by the commission by May 3, with a final report expected by Dec. 31.
—with files from Global News’ Naomi Barghiel